Mesoamerica:

Mayan & Aztec Empires

 Climate of Mesoamerica
• Warm Temperatures
• Plentiful Rainfall
• Rich volcanic soils
– Good for growing crops like maize, beans, and
squash.
Early Mesoamerican Civilizations

• Olmec
– (1200 BC to 300 AD)

• Zapotec
– (1500 BC to 750 AD)

• Toltec
– (900 to 1200 AD)
 The Mayan Civilization

• Developed around
1000 BC
– At its height, Maya
civilization consisted
of some 10 million
people spread among
40 cities.
 Supporting Large Cities

• Trade and
agriculture helped
support larger
populations, and
early Maya villages
grew into cities.
 Mayan Farming Practices
• Slash and Burn Agriculture- a method of
farming involves burning the vegetation to
clear land for planting.
 Mayan Cities & Government
• Classic Age
– (250 to 900 AD)
• Mayans built:
– Stone pyramids
– Temples
– Palaces

• Who did they build them for?

– Local Rulers (Kings)
– Gods
 Mayan Society & Religion
• Society • Religious Ceremonies
– Kings ruled with – Offering of blood to the
absolute power gods. (Blood Letting)
• It was believed they
communicated with the – Ball Game
gods. • Only allowed to use your
elbows, knees, and hips to
– Priests & Warriors
get a rubber ball through a
• Upper Class hoop.
– Merchants & Skilled – Losing team sacrificed.
Craftsmen – Human Sacrifice
• Middle Class
– Farmers & Slaves
• Lower Class
 Religion: Major Gods
• Hun Hunahpu – • Chac – god of rain,
maize god. thunder, and
– Father of the hero lightning.
twins – Both adored and
– Most important deity feared by the Maya
for the Maya
– He was portrayed as
– He brought about the both a benefactor
creation for the
and a violent
present world age.
warrior.
Religion: Major Gods contrinutions

• Gukumatz – • Ixchel – Earth and

Feathered snake god Moon Goddess
– Taught the Maya the – Goddess of creativity,
arts of civilization, weavers and
including codes of childbirth, goddess of
law, agriculture, medicine and reason,
fishing, and medicine. and a bringer of the
storms.
 Mayan Achievements
• Architecture
– Buildings
– Canals
• Astronomy
• Math
– Used Zero (0)
• Writing
• Calendar System
 Mayan Calendar
• The Maya had two
calendars:
– 365 day farming
calendar
– 260 day religious
calendar
• It was more accurate
that the European
calendar.
 Decline of Mayan Civilization
• Factors to decline:
– Environmental Damage
• Overuse of resources
– Drought
• Not able to feed everyone
– Warfare Increased
• Competition over lands
– Abuse of Power by Kings
 The Aztecs
• Located in modern day Mexico, and
Tenochtitlan was the capital city and is located
in what is now present day Mexico City.
 Rise of the Aztec Empire
• According to legend, the war god told one of the
tribes’ leaders that they should look for a place
where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus eating
a snake. It was there that they should settle and
build a new capital.

– They built Tenochtitlan after the prediction came true, and

it was on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco.
 Rise of the Aztec Empire
• Population consisted of farmers & warriors.
– Allied with Texcoco and Tlacopan.
• After the alliance was formed the empire gained
control over many region.

– Ruled 400 – 500 other city-states.

– 5 Million people under Aztec rule.
 Aztec Empire

• Conquered people
paid tribute.
– Tribute was a type of
tax.
• The Aztec Empire
gained wealth:
– Trade
– Tribute
 Tenochtitlan
• Size
– Five square miles • Architecture
• Approximately 3200 acres – Walled City
– Pyramid
• Population – Temples
– 200,000 – Palaces
– Ball court
– “Floating Gardens”
• Chinampas
– Canals
– Markets
 Aztec Society

• Social Classes Though people were born

into a certain class it was
possible to move up the
King
ranks within a life time.

Priests & Warriors Also apart of the middle class

• Merchants and Artisans
Farmers

Slaves & Prisoners of War

 Aztec Religion

• Main deity in the Aztec religion was

Huitzilopochtli and was known as both the sun
god and war god.
– Human sacrifice was practiced heavily in the Aztec
religion.
• Believed that these sacrifices gave power to the gods which
in turn would insure the survival of the Aztec civilization.
 Religion

• War captives were used in the sacrifices

– In times of peace the Aztec would have to resort
to ritualistic warfar.
• In the year 1487 the Aztecs reported killing
84,400 war prisoners in four days at the great
pyramid of Tenochitlan.
– After a town was conquered the inhabitants
where no longer eligible of sacrifice and became
Aztec citizens.
 Aztec Art

• The Aztecs also made other

religious and non-religious
artifacts such as jade masks.
– These artifacts were sold in
markets by visiting merchants.
 Aztec Achievements
• Written Record
– Glyphs- symbols that represented both objects
and sounds.
• Kept track of tax record and business details.
• Astronomy
– Calendar like the Mayans, but they also tracked
the movements of some planets.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!